Parallels and Other Ongoing Paradox Mysteries
by Arouria
Summary: au one-shots revolving around natsu and lucy /current story: We are not heroes. Not even close. If we put our heads together in some hellish version of karma we are Darker even then that. Even the midnight city skyline can not find us. /always complete/
1. Comin' Up Roses

Hello all and welcome to my little corner of hell- er, I mean fanfiction.

This is a place where I come to dump my AU Nalu fics because I write a lot of them and they need somewhere to go besides my desktop folder.

Unless stated otherwise, they're all going to be one-shots, and they'll all pretty much be rated T because I can't seam to keep cursing out of my writing no matter how hard I try. It makes it colorful I guess? Ok that was an excuse. I just curse a lot.

Don't expect any sexy sexy time unless I get a whole butt-ton of requests for it, in which case I'll put a warning at the beginning of the story. It's not likely, but I won't dismiss the idea because I'm a fickle person and well, you never know.

The genres of these stories range everywhere from angst to crazy nonsensical antics to fluffy romance to drama and so on. Bottom line it's pretty much all over the place, so don't expect any real consistency! Again, the genre of the story will be at the top.

As I stated earlier, these are really going to be pretty Nalu centric, but I also ship quite a few other FT pairs, so if they pop up.. well lets just say they might. If you're not a fan of that ship, chances are it's not going to have a major role in the story (if it does I'll state it at the beginning) so hopefully I won't be a problem!

Thanks for being here and I reeeally hope you like AUs as much as I do! ;)

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><p><strong>notes:<strong> From when I was supposed to be writing that one KSM chapter and this happened instead

**notes 2:** This started as one thing and became another, forgive me.. also I'm using a different style then I normally do, so it probably sucks, gomen.

**title:** / Comin' Up Roses / T / Nalu / Romance, Drama, & a little Humor /

**summary:** In showbiz, it's always your past that comes back to haunt you. Or, the time Lucy refuses to come home, so it comes to her instead.

**disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail since if I did I'd probably be filthy rich, like seriously, it's crazy how popular it is? Hiro probably rakes in the dough big time.

**disclaimer 2:** Neither of the songs used here belong to or are written by me. The first is _Coming Up Roses_ by Keira Knightly and the second is _You Haunt Me_ by Sir Sly

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"You know you could still back out."

She grips the neck of her guitar between her palm, the feel of the taunt metal strings beneath her fingers only adding to the mischievous spark in her golden hazel eyes.

He sends her a glare that she assumes is supposed to be intimidating, needless to say his gesture misses it's mark.

"Not a chance in hell, girlie." He brings his features up into his signature grin, deep onyx eyes locking in on her own as she easily holds his smoldering gaze, her own eyes flickering in challenge.

"Well don't say I didn't warn you, _Dragneel_." She hums smoothly as she taps her newly painted fingernails against her low E string. The brass wire vibrates dully as she does, an invisible tempo they keep as they send heated glares back and forth.

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind, _Heartfilia_." He basically purrs at her in a falsely sweet tone. A tone that had girls all over the nation swooning, and would probably have her too, had she not invented that tone _years_ ago.

"That was still my thing before it was yours." She coons at him, honey-brown eyes narrowed and catlike as she flips his hormone inducing tactics back on him, flicking a stray strand of hair behind her shoulder as she sends him a toxic smile. This is _her_ game they're playing, after all.

"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about, _Lucy_." He hisses her name like it's steam, and suddenly the two are so close she can actually see those illusive flecks of jade in his onyx eyes. The almost-false air of sexual tension thickens and the animosity in the atmosphere doubles.

"Is that so.." She unwraps her fingers from her instrument in favor of drumming them softly against the side of his face, eyes lidded and intoxicating in the darkness of the small off-stage space. Putting extra caution into not brushing their guitars, she rises to her tip-toes, her lips just against his ear, "…_Natsu_."

She can tell from the hitch in his breath that she's won, and from the beginning she knew she would. No matter how much he tried, he'd still never been one for seductive tactics.

"What's happened to us?" He whispers, eyes closed as he breathes her in, the familiar scents of wildflowers filling his lungs.

He almost whines as she pulls away, but he knows better. Once, there would have been a time where he wouldn't have let her go. Where he would have pulled her against him and she would have slapped him because they "weren't that close" even though they were.

But that was a long time ago, he knows, and she knows too.

A crack of light appears as the heavy curtains swing softly with the noise of the crowd, and numbly someone announces that the show is about to begin.

He almost forgets he's voiced his question until she actually answers it.

"We grew up." She barely whispers, her fingers gone from his cheek and her scent out of his airways. And then she straightens, as if her resolve might shatter if she looks him in the eye. And for all she knows, it just might.

He notices the flickering in her eyes. Not the normal flashes of challenge or venom he had become so accustom to, but flicks of the girl behind the wall, flashes of the girl he's known since he was ten. The same girl who he dared to start a band with him and actually did it, the same girl he fell in love with, the same girl who walked away that one chilly autumn night.

And as soon as she's there she's gone, and the wall's back and she's pushing that damned heavy curtain aside and the crowd is roaring for her. For a moment he takes her in- all black skinny jeans and wavey blonde hair and skin tight crop top and a presence that has the whole world screaming her name. And then she's gone, swallowed by the stage light, and soon enough, he is too.

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"I can't believe that showdown ended in a _tie_." A petite girl with shoulder-length blue hair snorts into her hand of cards, tossing a pair of twos at the brunette across from her.

The brunette scoops up the cards in victory, tapping a slim finger against her beer can -her _fifth_ beer can one might add- as she contemplates her next move.

"Well _I _still can't believe we didn't stay for the after party. It was an _all boys band,_ girls, the stars don't align like that too damn often ya know!" The brunette takes a hearty swig of her Budweiser before glancing at the blunette to her left.

"I heard they used to have a female lead singer too you know." The petite girl comments as she shuffles a few cards in her hand.

The brunette raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "What happened to her?"

"Dunno, dropped off the face of the planet after a falling out I think." The blue haired girl shrugs, placing a final card at the end of her hand as she finishes rearranging her cards.

The brunette scoffs and turns to the blonde at her right instead, nails tapping the table as she hums in thought,

"Got any fives, Lucy?"

If she hears, she doesn't show it. Her honey-brown eyes are glued to the tour bus window, even though it's well past midnight and the only thing to look at out there is the unchanging darkness of night, give or take the occasional break in the treeline that reveled the city beyond.

The brunette rolls her dark eyes and sticks her ice-cold beer can to the side of the blonde's check, the later recoiling in sudden attentiveness.

"Eiek! What did you do that for Cana?!" She shrieks indignantly, rubbing the cold spot on her cheek as she pouts at the brunette.

Cana just sighs, waving her hand of cards at the blonde in emphasis, "I _said_, 'Got any fives, Lucy?' "

Lucy shakes her head as if ridding herself of any lingering thoughts before giving the brunette an apologetic smile, "Oh, sorry, go fish."

Cana sighs and reaches for the draw pile in the center of the table, mumbling something about how she should have asked for threes instead.

The blunette eyes her friend worriedly from across the fold-out table, her large eyes full of concern as she speaks out, "Are you ok Lucy? You seam a little out of it."

Lucy blinks a few times before shaking her head in dismissal, "Oh, no, Levy I'm fine, really. I've just got a bit of a headache is all."

"What some aspirin?" Levy offers, a hand already in her little brown satchel by her side.

Lucy smiles gratefully, eyes dropping wearily as she does, "That would be great, actually."

The blunette winks at her, her deep brown eyes knowing, "Somebody looks like she needs a double dose tonight."

She tosses the bottle across the table and Lucy catches it with only a little fumbling, with is actually pretty impressive since Lucy has the hand-eye coordination equivalent to that of a blind pigeon.

Cana congratulates her on her great catch and the blonde elbows her playfully,

"Alright Cana, smartass, got any threes?"

"Damn, how'd ya know?"

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An hour later they're at their hotel and an hour after that the entire band is asleep.

Well, the entire band minus their lead singer.

She's quiet as she does it, expertly slipping on a beanie, a pair of worn blue jeans, some random t-shirt from the recesses of her suitcase, and topping it off with her favorite jacket- black and from the streets of her hometown.

Which, coincidentally, is were she finds herself tonight. She tries not to think about how it's Natsu's hometown, too. But her mind's been on him a lot recently, so the thought is there anyways, whether she wants it to be or not.

As she slips past the glass double doors of the hotel, she's barley noticed, which is good. She doesn't really expect to be, though. She does it on purpose. Won't curl her hair, does her make-up herself, like she used to, wears clothes any normal civilian would wear. Clothes she used to wear everyday too, in another time.

The only thing that sparks any interest about her is the guitar, and there's no hiding that. It's obvious, yet not to much of an eye catcher. It's black case is slung casually over her left shoulder, like she always carries it, no obvious logos or embroidery to set it apart from any other stereotypical guitar case.

And so, without so much as a nod from the lady at reception, she steps into the cold night air and breathes in the city she was born in.

New York is just as beautiful as she remembers it. All neon lights and flashing street signs, the smell of local vendor's food and the feel of the nipping chill against her flushed skin.

Her breath puffs out before her and she can't help but wish she'd thrown on a scarf after all. She tries again in vain not to think about Natsu's ever-present scarf, and how, years ago on a night like this, he probably would have wrapped her up in it without a word, just like he used to.

She pushes the thought towards the back of her mind and starts down the worn concrete street. It might be near 3 o'clock in the morning, but the city is far from quiet, and honestly she's glad to let the city buzz fill the void in her thoughts.

She waits at that same stupid street light by the gas station, the one she knows will take exactly five minutes to turn once it switches. She knows she can make a run for it with lucky break in traffic, but it's thick tonight, and she has the feeling she's going to have to wait out all five of those minutes alone by the lamp post.

She remembers having to do this a lot, for some reason she always caught the light only moments after it switched, and she'd have wait all five minutes until the light flicked back and she could finally make her way across.

After what feels like forever the light switches and she continues, her destination in sight.

It feels like an eternity since she's been here, which isn't to far off since it kinda has been. She shuffles her feet a bit and stares up at the sign at the top of the stairway. The simple words _Early Tailor's _are still scrawled out in a deep neon purple above her. She find's herself smiling, and she knows she shouldn't be, but she is.

The neon in the sign still hasn't been replaced, and as much as she hates to admit it, she knows she would be disappointed if it had been. She closes her eyes as the memory floods back to her, just like she knew it would.

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"_Luce, I've got a name for the band." His deep onyx eyes are trained on something above them, his grin a mile wide as he silently encourages her to do the same. Catching his drift, she slowly raises her honey gaze to match his, eyes swiftly adjusting to the dusky lighting. _

"_What, _Early Tailor's_? I love this place as much as the next guy, but come on Natsu, we've made fun of how dumb that name is since we were like, ten." Lucy deadpans, bringing her gaze back down to the boy besides her. He's still staring at the sign as he shakes his head and points back up once again._

"_No you dope, not _Early Tailor's_, I don't think I could handle being in a band named something lame as that. Don't you see how the neon's burned out in the bottom half of the 'E' and the 'L' in 'Early'? And how it's gone in the '-or's' too? Can you see it?"_

_And she does. Her grin widens, eyes sparkling in the early winter streetlight. It's perfect. Or close to it anyways, they'll have to squeeze an 'I' in there, but minor details like are for the perfectionists of life, and Natsu and Lucy are far from such._

"Fairy Tail_, huh? I like it." She closes her hazel eyes and lets the wind whip at the words, letting the feel of them sink into her skin. She likes the secret meaning behind them, that the name came from this hole-in-the-wall place that was so important to them both._

"_So you're not blind after all." He grins at her, and she pops open and eye to glare at him half-heartedly, elbowing him in the side for good measure._

"_Idiot." She jabs playfully, mouth curved up in a smile_

"_Weirdo" He counters, shooting her his signature fanged grin as their hearty laughter echos softly off of the city walls, slowly disappearing silently into the night._

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She opens her eyes as the memory fades, and she shivers as she realizes she's been standing in the cold long enough for her fingertips to numb.

She bites her lip and takes the first step down the concrete staircase, hand gripping the metal railing as she counts the steps down, even though she already knows there's exactly ten. Her footsteps echo in the hollow corridor, and she absently tugs at a stray piece of hair to calm her nerves. Bad habit. His bad habit, too, she knows.

After a good minute or two of standing outside the musty glass door, someone else opens it before she can.

"You going in, missy?" He eyes her as he props the door open for her on his way out, and she mumbles a 'thank you' as she squeezes past him, careful not to hit the guitar case against anything.

The strong scent of coffee and alcohol flare her nostrils as a rush of artificial heat flushes against her skin. She shimmies her way out of the doorway and takes in the room, unchanged minus some minor furniture rearranging.

The stage is still there, guitars and that great big grand piano lining the wall, and that same stale glow that hits the floorboards in a way that makes it homely inviting.

The bar is still there too, of course, in the righthand corner of the shop, gentle tinging of glasses hitting one another and hushed whispers between it's occupants.

Cozy worn out sofas still dot the floors, all turned to face the stage in all of it's florescent glory. She eyes the pale grey one towards the right. It's always been her favorite, for a lot of reasons. One of them being that it was secretly a lot comfier then the other musty old sofas, another being that the way it's positioned (and it hadn't been moved- lucky her) against the stage gives you the best view of the artist performing. One would think the center seat is best, but Lucy would say otherwise.

The lights can block a person out from the front, and the mic is always right in front of their face. But from the side you can see it, the expressions, the flicks of emotion in their eyes, when you can see the person behind the artist. He liked that seat best too, she knows.

She makes a b-line for the empty sofa, most of the crowd being congregated around the center. There's a girl on stage singing, she notices, and she's rather good. She's tiny, not much older then 14, probably, with knee-length blue hair that she would have thought strange had she not grown up in New York.

The girl finishes the song and Lucy claps for her, she was pretty good for being so young. She briefly recalls being on that stage as a kid too, what felt like an eternity ago. The young blue haired girl squints her eyes and peers into the crowd. It's customary that whoever performs last picks the next person to go. One of the many reasons this place was a make or break- have something to perform or be real good at making something up on the spot.

The little girl's eye finds Lucy's guitar case leaned against the sofa cushion and consequently finds Lucy. Their brown eyes lock together and Lucy gives her a small smile, to which the smaller girl returns and points her out against the crowd.

Lucy's heart flips and for a moment she's scared. It's been a long time since she's been here, singing, playing, laughing. Briefly she wonders if she really deserves that again, but she shakes her head and calls on her resolve to see this through.

She had promised herself that she would.

She swiftly unhooks the guitar case and brings out the instrument by it's neck, slinging the strap around her shoulders as she heads for the stage. She hops up easily, the short stairway from the ground to the platform forgotten. Deftly she finds herself in front of the mic, the intensity of the lights blurring out the detail of her audience.

Before the blue haired girl can leave she catches her arm lightly and whispers something to her. The younger girl stares up at her, large doe eyes wide.

"Yeah I know that one, you sure?" She looks unconvinced, like she thinks she won't be good enough.

Lucy gives the girl a quick smile and a wink, the maternal look in her hazel eyes comforting, "I'm sure, thanks for this…."

"Wendy." The younger girl whispers as she bounds back to the side of the stage, hugging a background mic between her dainty fingers.

Lucy follows suit and expertly adjusts the center mic to her level. Without even looking behind her she hooks her foot around the bar of the creaky wooden stool and drags it forward. She takes her seat and briefly stares out into crowd, which has digressed it's loud chattering into a buzzed mumble. She smiles, a genuine one, for once.

"I'm Lucy," She states simply into the mic, and a few eyes turn to look at the new girl on stage. "Just Lucy," She adds, remembering how she'd introduced herself the first time she did this.

Her eyes flicker closed as she takes in a deep breath, letting her fingers slide against the cool metal of her strings. All of a sudden the rush returns, something that's been gone since long ago, and she's excited. She wants to play, she wants to sing. Suddenly, it's fun again.

She's so caught up in the feeling of freedom she doesn't hear the door open, or see him suck in a breath at the sight of her, or even see him fall into the grey couch on the right like he's done it a thousand times.

Because he has.

"One of my favorite songs, for anyone who's ever fallen in love in the city," She breaths, her fingers gliding to find her first chord as she begins.

[_Lucy, _(Wendy), _(Both)_]

_When you were asl__eep__, and I was out walking_

_The voices started to speak, and they wouldn't stop talking_

_There were signs all around, It really got my mind racing_

_You were right all along, something'__s gotta change_

_(Hold on), Hold on they're not for me_

_(Hold on)_

_Cause everything's coming up roses,_

_Roses_

_We were back on the street, found a song that's worth singing_

_The blur that knows a defeat, while your victory bell's ringing,_

_My whole life's turned around, for this thing you keep chasing_

_You were right all along_

_But it's me who's got to change_

_(Hold on), Hold they're not for me_

_(Hold on)_

_Cause everything's coming up roses _

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Aaahhh_

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Aaahhh_

(Hold on, Hold on)

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Aaahhh_

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Aaahhh_

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Aaahhh_

(Hold on, Hold on)

_Hold on, Hold on they're not for me_

_Hold on_

_Cause everything's coming up..._

_Roses_

(Everything's coming up roses

Everything's coming up roses

Hold on, Hold on)

_Roses_

_(Hold on, Hold on_

_Everything's coming up roses_

_Hold on, Hold on_

_Everything's coming up roses_

_Hold on, Hold on)_

_Roses _

_(Hold on, Hold on)_

_Roses_

.

And just as soon as it starts it's over, and Lucy is breathing heavy from effort, and for a moment the crowd is in shocked silence. And then she opens her eyes and they're roaring, just like they used to, and her chest hasn't felt this light in years as she smiles and stands to high-five the blue haired girl on her right. She's smiling and laughing as the crowd whistles, and she leaves Wendy to chose the next up as she hops off the stage to return to her seat.

Only it's occupied.

And every last oxygen atom leaves her airways as she stares at him, and he stares at her. And she knows that even if the rest of the universe can't identify her looking like she did two years ago, Natsu Dragneel can.

And she realizes he looks like he did then, too. All baggy pants and that stupid unzipped jacket without a shirt underneath. And just like she used too she internally scoffs at how he can be dressed so lightly in one of the coldest months of the year, the only piece of clothing that actually makes sense being his scarf, which she knows he wears in the middle of summer, too.

And before he can say a word her guitar's in it's case and she's hightailing it out of there so fast she surprised she doesn't knock anyone over. But he's faster. He always has been, and she's two steps off the staircase and into the earlymorning light before he grabs her arm and spins her towards him.

"_Lucy_." He breathes, careful, like she might break if he's too loud. His onyx eyes are on hers and this scene is so familiar she can feel the ache resonating in her very soul.

And that's all it takes for her wall to be up and the venom to mix back into her honey-hazel eyes. A game they play, a persona they put on in front of eachother. It was safer this way, it doesn't bring up bad memories.

"_What?_" She spits, refusing to look him in the eye, she can tell his gaze hasn't left her face but she won't give him the satisfaction of turning to meet him.

"If you're here to challenge the band to another play off don't bother- all that shit goes through the manager anyways, I don't get a say in it." She hisses at him, but his hand still hasn't left her arm and his intense onyx gaze still won't break from her face.

"Lucy." He repeats, his tone serious and unwavering, "I didn't come here to play rival with you."

She instantly freezes. He couldn't have just done what she thought he did.

"I don't know what you're talking ab-"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He cuts her off before she can finish denying his statement. His eyes are hard and serious, demanding she understand what he's implying here.

And she does. With just that sentence he's shattered it. Their unspeakable taboo, their mutual agreement, gone, just like that. And suddenly she whips her head to him and bores her gaze deep into his eyes, _How dare you, do you know what you've done? _

It was their unspoken agreement, that this was them now and there wasn't any point of speaking of things ever being different. Yet here he was, his eyes sincere and unwavering as if he hadn't just shattered everything that had been them for the past year and a half. He wasn't supposed to look at her like that. He was supposed to seethe at her in unspoken hatred. They were supposed to glare and hiss and do anything but _this_.

And as soon as her anger bubbles up it's gone, and he watches her eyes as the unmistakable gleam of sorrow replaces the venom in their hazel depths.

"What do you want, Natsu." It's a statement, not a question. And it's so soft he barley hears it, her voice shaken and unstable as she dares to speak in a tone that's anything but the toxic thing he's used to.

"I want you to sing with me." He states as if it's the simplest thing in the world, his dark eyes never leaving hers.

She tenses with everything she's got, her hazel eyes wide and her breath hitched in the back of her throat. After a second the shock's passed and she grits her teeth together in rock-hard resolve.

"No."

Natsu's eyes flash and she knows she's done it.

"What are you so afraid of, Luce!?" He almost yells, her nickname slipping without permission from his lips, and she catches the hurt in his undertone as the grip on her arm tightens. Her eyes drop to the ground as she studies his worn red high tops in contrast to her chic, equally worn black converse.

"He's been dead for over half a year now, so why are you still doing this!?" He's yelling now, and she still refuses to look up at him. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realizes she's bitten her bottom lip so hard the thick metallic taste of blood finds itself on her tongue. Her throat tightens like she's about to cry but she refuses to let the feeling overwhelm her.

"Lucy!"

"Just shut up!" She snarls at him, ripping her arm out of his grasp. She takes a step back from him and grips the spot where his hand was on her forearm.

"You don't know _anything,_ so don't you dare talk like you do!" She can feel tears in the corner of her eyes but she knows she can't let them get the better of her. Not here, not like this.

"Then _tell me_ dammit!" He's fuming, his hands tight fists at his sides. His onyx eyes are flashing in hurt and a thousand other emotions Lucy refuses to meet as her gaze hardens on the concrete ground.

"Why the hell do you care anyways? After all this, what reason do you have to give a shit about me, Natsu, tell me!" She's crying and she knows it, her nails are digging so hard into her arm she knows she'll have bruises come daylight, but she doesn't care.

Natsu stiffens, his entire posture frozen as she stubbornly raises her gaze to meet his. His eyes flash something unreadable as his onyx eyes burn against hers.

"Do you seriously not know to answer that?"

Lucy snorts despite the situation, "No freaking shit, Natsu! I wouldn't have asked you if I knew the answer!"

Natsu grits his teeth and stomps forward, eyes sparking as he leaves his face only inches away from her own.

"Are you _blind_?"

Lucy's eyes flash as she holds his smoldering gaze, "Well I guess so since-"

"God dammit, I'm _in love with you_, Lucy!"

And her whole world screeches to a halt because his lips are on hers and she's not quite sure what to do because of all the possible turnouts she's imagined for tonight this was definitely not one of them.

And she's crying and he's kissing her and before she can register that she is she's kissing him too. And just like that the last year and a half are gone and the wall she's built up obliterates into nothing.

She cries harder. Because just like that every single weight on her chest is gone and she's gripping that stupid scarf of his like it's her lifeline. He smiles into her and draws comforting circles with his finger against her lower back, and she sighs and falls into him like she's wanted to for years.

She breaks apart from him and trains her eyes on the ground sheepishly, scuffing the sole of her shoe against the concrete.

Natsu eyes her curiously, as if he isn't sure how to deal with this girl who has gone from his friend to his sorta-rival to a screaming mess of rage to kissing him and finally to this. He isn't exactly sure what to do with _this_, and she isn't too sure either honestly.

"_Mira's_." She mumbles, shoving her hands absently into her jacket pockets.

"What about it?" He questions, recalling the local diner only a good five minutes down the street. Briefly he wonders if the same white-haired barmaid, Mira herself, still works there. It's been a while since he's been in town, a while since Lucy's been here too, he knows.

"I want to play there, like we used to." She mutters, as if she's unsure of herself. Without realizing it she reaches a hand up and twirls a stray stand of hair between her fingers. He smiles. A nervous habit of them both, he remembers.

"Playing for the Daily Special? It's been a while, Luce." He grins and she stares up at him, a slight pout outlines in her soft features.

"Well it's not like you have too-" She starts, but before she can finish he rolls his eyes and flicks her right smack on the forehead.

She yelps and recoils back a step, "Ouch! Jerk, what did you do that for?"

He sighs and re-adjusts the guitar case slug across his shoulder- which she's only just now noticing actually, "Luce, did you not just hear my entire speech of 'I want to sing with you' followed by the whole 'I'm in love with you' thing? Duh I want to, weirdo."

She feels herself flush as the incident flares up in her memory, and she slaps him on the shoulder in embarrassment, "You're not supposed to say stuff like that so casually, Idiot."

He grins at her as they start down the street, the early morning light filtering through the cracks in the skyline and leaving the sky a dreamy pale color.

"What, that I'm in love with you?"

Her blush reddens tenfold as she shoves him. He grins at her in victory as she stutters, "Just- Just be quiet, idiot."

"Your insults are lame, Luce."

"Oh just shut up!"

—

Fifteen minutes later they're standing outside of _Mira's_, their guitars in hand and a single black case wide open at their feet.

Lucy glances at the boy beside her, his pink hair is just as wild as it always is, and his dark gaze is just as intense and full of emotion as she remembers it.

"You remember the rules, right?" She questions, even though she doesn't really need too. Of course he remembers, and of course she knows that.

He snorts, ticking things off his fingers as he goes, "Duh. We only play until we have enough for two of the Daily Specials-"

"Which costs $10.50 with coffee-"

"Which is $21.00 overall, extra goes to the tip" They say together, nodding their heads in agreement.

"And-" She starts, only to have the pinkette cut her off.

"Only songs both of us know." He flashes her his signature toothy grin, dark eyes shining, "And last but not least-"

"Make it _interesting_." They finish in unison, eyes glinting in excitement. They hadn't felt this free in years, hadn't talked like this in ages, and it felt good. Really damn _good_.

"Think you can handle it, _Natsu_?" She challenges with a smile, her fingers tapping lightly against her low 'E' string.

"Oh I know I can, _Lucy_." He hums, absently strumming a 'G' chord on her name.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She hits a 'D' chord and he quickly follows suit, and soon enough they're playing a song the both know by heart.

[Lucy, _Natsu_, _**Both**_]

_I'm selfish, never didn't think about anyone but myself_

I'm careless, never did care about anyone else

_You're fearless, never been afraid, don't start that now_

Not helpless, never wanna help, then go to hell

_Whiskey and wine_

_Night after night_

You haunt me

_Losing my mind_

_Set it on fire_

You haunt me

_I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh_

Oh oh oh

_**I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh**_

_**I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh**_

_I'm aimless, heading toward nowhere at the speed of light_

Still dreamless, now that you're gone I think I lost my fight

_Your loose lip, tell me what you think about all last night_

You're foolish, follow through a fool like its not that wide

_**Whiskey and rum**_

_**Blood on my tongue**_

_You haunt me_

_**Tonic and gin**_

_**Blood's getting thin**_

You haunt me

I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh

_Oh oh oh_

_**I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh**_

_**I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh**_

_Let me down easy now_

_Something else you'll write about again_

Found my way on a plane

Things will never be the same again

_**Whiskey and rum**_

_**Blood on my tongue**_

_**You haunt me**_

_**Tonic and gin**_

_**Blood's getting thin**_

_**You haunt me**_

**_I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh_**

Oh oh oh

_**I'm never gonna let you go-oh-oh**_

I'm never gonna gonna let you go

_I'm never gonna gonna let you go_

_**I'm never gonna let you go**_

.

"Luce you gonna eat that?" He asks as he prods his fork at her sausage, eyeing the fat piece of meat until she swats his hand away for the third time this morning.

"_Yes_ Natsu, for the last time, I'm going to eat it." She places her fork protectively over her sausage until the boy retreats in a huff of defeat.

"But it's been like ten minutes and you still haven't touched it."

Lucy rolls her eyes at his boyish logic, "I'm saving it for last, reach your hand over here again and I'll stab you."

She wriggles her fork in the air for emphasis as he snorts and leans further back into the booth, "Geez, touchy touchy."

Lucy shrugs as she chows down another bite of her eggs, "'S not my fault you ate yours ten seconds after you got it."

He huffs, crossing his arms over his exposed chest as he eyes her plate of food, "Meanie."

She giggles at his childish demeanor for a moment before biting her lip in nervousness, setting her fork down on her plate to wring her hands in her lap.

Natsu notices and sits up, eyeing the blonde suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

She sighs and brings her gaze to meet his, absently tugging a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as she does, "Look Natsu… I kind of owe you an explanation."

He blinks and falls back a little in his seat, eyes fluttering closed as he takes in a breath, "Yeah, you kinda do."

She bites her lip harder and squeezes her eyes shut, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Where do I even start-"

"Why you left." He interjects. He's not looking at her, but rather out the window to her left, his gaze following each passerby until they were out of his focal range.

"I want to know why you left." He clarifies, even though he doesn't really have to. She gets it. He wants to know why she left the band.

She lets out another sigh and joins him in staring out the window.

"It was my father's will."

In the reflection of the window she watches as Natsu slowly closes his onyx eyes, head propped up against his elbow, "I thought as much."

She spins the metal fork on the table absently as she continues, "For a while he ignored it, passing it off as a fling that would never really take off. But when we got signed.."

"He didn't want his family name associated with people like us." Natsu finishes for her, and he sees her reflection in the window nod lightly.

"I was so scared, Natsu. He said he was going to call the record label and get the band dissolved, put you all out of a job."

He turned to look at her, _really_ look at her. She was still facing the window, but her hazel eyes reflected back at her in the dim diner lighting. Her eyes were swimming with emotion, but she continued.

"I begged him not to do it, and after a while he said he'd leave you alone if I cut all ties with you guys and went to a school of his choice. It seamed like the only option I had, so I snatched it while I could."

He catches the tightness in her voice, and he cringes slightly. The last thing he wants was to make her cry, and he's about to tell her it's ok to stop when she presses on anyways.

"I should have told you guys. I know that I should have. Maybe.. maybe we could have figured something out, I don't know. I was just terrified he'd find out, and then all our effort would be for naught. I- I'm just.."

She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. There wouldn't be any sense in crying now, it would just make it harder to get her point across. Slowly she opens her eyes and brings her gaze to match his, fear and regret mixed in against their hazily depths.

"I'm sorry." She breathes, breaking her gaze away from his in favor of staring blankly at the tabletop.

"Lucy…"

"And you wanna know the funny thing? I got really close to my dad after that. He stopped being such a giant dickwad and he even started smiling again. Can you picture it Natsu? My dad _smiling_? I could hardly believe my eyes the first time I saw it."

She quickly rubs the back of her hand over her eye and for the first time Natsu notices her tattoo is still there. He has the same one, on his shoulder, all the band members do. It was Lucy's idea. To get the band symbol tattoo'd on them all. He thought she'd removed hers after she left.

"You still have it." He voices, his eyes glued to the light pink marking covering her right hand.

"Huh?" She blinks the water in her eyes back before realizing he's talking about her hand.

She lets her eyes rest on it, rubbing a thumb over if as she smiles softly, "Yeah, I guess I just couldn't bare to get rid of it. Pretty selfish right? It's not like I really deserve it."

She sniffs and Natsu's just about to tell her how that's not true before she continues on, "My dad even demanded I get rid of it as part of our conditions, and I set up the appointment to do it and everything. And then I walked in the building and realized I could never do it. I've put concealer on it every day since then. I guess I forgot this morning."

She taps the mark once and then falls back in her seat cushion, her gave fixated on the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears in.

"And you wanna know the saddest thing, Natsu? You know what my dad's dying words were?"

She closes her eyes and Natsu watches as tears begin to slip past her defenses. He wants to stop her. Tell her it's ok not to tell him. But he already knows she'll shake that blonde head of hers in dead-set determination, just like she always does, and press on anyways. So he waits for her, and she sucks in a sharp breath and throws a forearm over her eyes.

"That day I was at his bedside, letting him hold my hand as he rubbed it and spoke to me. He knew he was dying. I knew, too. And you know what he did, Natsu? He held up my hand to me and showed me he'd rubbed all the concealer right off, that he knew it was still there. And he smiled at me, Natsu. _Smiled at me_. And you know what he said then? The last words he ever said to me were 'Go back to the place that you love, Lucy'. He told me to go back."

He can't take it anymore. Trails of shimmering tears are streaming down her face as he rises and plunks himself on her side of the booth, pulling her into his arms as she cries.

And he can't help himself, he buries his face into her hair and breathes in her wildflower scent, letting it cling to his airways and become part of his very existence.

"Why didn't you come back?" He whispers as her sobs start to die. She grips his scarf until her knuckles turn white.

"I wanted to. Oh I wanted to so bad. Do you know how terrified I was Natsu? I didn't exactly leave you guys on great terms." She murmurs, eyes squeezing shut and she takes in shaky breaths of air.

"It wouldn't have mattered Lucy, you should know that."

"But I didn't." She sniffs, tearing herself away from Natsu's chest and rubbing away stray tears with the back of her hands, "I wasn't sure what you guys still thought of me. I was sure that you hated me. Which is why when we saw each other again for the first time… I acted like, well, _that_."

Natsu sighs. What a wonderfully tragic misunderstanding they've all been living under for the past two years.

"I thought you hated me." He mumbles sheepishly into his scarf, his dark eyes locked on hers "At least, that's what you told me the day you left."

She physically flinches at the reminder of it, _Oh shit, I did say that didn't I._

"You know that's not true, right, Natsu?" She stares up at him expectantly, her doe-hazel eyes searching his own for an answer.

"Well it's not like I've ever heard you tell me otherwise." He mutters, his gaze flicking away from hers in favor of staring at her half-eaten breakfast instead.

Lucy feels like hitting him over the head, but settles for scoffing at him instead, "Seriously, Natsu? God you really are an idiot."

His gaze snaps back to hers, "Hey! That's- _mpfh!_"

She grabs him by the scarf and tugs his lips against hers, and he hardly even has time to react before she pushes him away and crosses her arms over her chest in embarrassment.

"There, I don't hate you, ok?" She mumbles as she starts tugging at loose strands of her hair again.

Natsu just blinks at her, still recovering from the shock of her sudden actions.

"I don't know, I'm still not convinced, give me anoth- Ow!" He hisses as Lucy rams her heel into his foot from under the table. He swings his injured foot up into his lap to rub his toes through the fabric of his shoe.

"What was that for?" He pouts as he switches his gaze from his injured foot to the blonde beside him.

"For being an idiot."

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She continues to tell him about what had happened after her father's death. How she'd met Cana and Levy at the new school she transferred into and how they begged her to be in their band with them after they caught her singing in the piano room. She told him that she denied their offer hundreds of times before realizing how depressed she'd become without music in her life, at which point she'd caved in and joined.

She tells him how they won the competition that led to them being signed into a one-year contract with their current record label, which she expresses how much she detests, and how their manager is a dickwad. And when she finishes she begs Natsu to tell her how the members of the band are doing, especially her original bandmates.

"_Fairy Tail's_ pretty much the same." He shrugs, his breath puffing out infront of him as they continue down the chilly early morning streets of their hometown. They'd left the diner about an hour ago, after stopping in to chat with an extremely excited Mirajane, who of course had recognized them immediately.

"You and Gray still besties?" Lucy jabs as she watches Natsu's face contort into a scowl.

"Definitely _not_ the word I would use, but yeah, Ice Princess is fine." Natsu snorts as Lucy giggles about how after all this time he still insults Gray with ice puns. Back when the band was just getting up and started, someone had compared them to 'Fire and Ice', and the two hadn't let the other live it down since.

"It's real funny, actually. He's got this girl who's supposed to be the 'official' president of his fan club -a chick named Juvia- and she's totally head over heels in love with him. She follows us all around the country and buys tickets to every show, she's seriously crazy. He pretends not to be interested, but I've seen him sneak her V.I.P. passes more then once. She actually plays a pretty mean bass, you'd probably get along great."

Lucy smiles, her hands behind her back as she hums contently at his stories, "What about Erza?"

She catches Natsu's shiver of terror and lets out a hearty laugh, "Still as scary as ever I'm guessing?"

Natsu's eyes widen like he's just remembered something he'd rather not, "No doubt. Still the #1 most terrifying manager in the history of like, ever."

They continue to chat effortlessly about the members of _Fairy Tail_ and life in general, Lucy laughing and Natsu teasing and the world just as it should be, and far to soon Lucy can see the outline of her hotel in the distance.

She stops suddenly, eyes on the concrete.

"Natsu.." She starts as he turns back to face her, onyx eyes glinting with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asks as she brings her honey-hazel gaze up to his.

"Natsu, what happens now?" She whispers, unsure of herself. It was great that everything between then was relatively back to normal- well minus the whole kissing/love confessions, those where new-, but.. what about her band with the girls? What about _Fairy Tail?_ What about _them_?

Natsu scoffs like the question is the simplest thing in the whole world, "You come back to _Fairy Tail_ is what happens, duh."

She freezes, her throat constricting her airflow, "Natsu.. I can't just leave the girls and run off to my old band again.."

Natsu just rolls his onyx eyes at her, "Who said you had to leave 'em? Just bring 'em with you, to _Fairy Tail_."

He grins as her eyes widen in shock. Could she really.. do that? Was that even a possibility?

Natsu turns his gaze to her hotel, the glass doors only a few feet away from them, "Your contract's almost up isn't it? And from what you said it sounds like your manager's a piece of shit."

His gaze shifts back to Lucy, who has her hands over her mouth like she might start crying again.

Natsu just grins, and just like he did that day years ago, the day he asked her- or dared her, more like- to start a band with him, he extends his hand to her. She chokes on any words she might have tried to say in that moment, so Natsu speaks instead.

"Come home, Lucy."

.

"Lucy where the _hell_ have you been!?"

The petite girl is fuming, her face beet red in fury. Next to her, Cana holds a slightly less red but just as agitated look as she swirls a beer can in silent seething.

Lucy laughs a little awkwardly, a hand going to the back of her head in nervousness, "I uh, kinda went for a walk."

Levy throws her hands up into the air in frustration, "A _walk_, she went for a _walk. _Without telling anybody. In the middle of the night. _Alone_."

The blunette pinches the bridge of her nose to stop the beginnings of the headache she feels coming on, "And don't even get me _started_ on how pissed the manager is."

Lucy smirks. Which, on Levy's list of predicted reactions, was pretty damn far down towards the bottom.

"Screw the manager." She says, walking up so that she's only a foot or two away from her bandmates. She holds up her right hand for the duo to see.

"Lucy?" Cana asks, a look of confusion flickering in her deep brown eyes, "When did you get a tattoo?"

Lucy smiles, and the two do a double take.

"Girls," She hums, her honey golden eyes flashing with a sort of passion they haven't seen in their lead singer in a long time, maybe even ever.

"I have a proposition for you."

* * *

><p>.<p>

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and that's a wrap on the first story! your reviews are _seriously_ appreciated, and please please tell me what kind of AUs you'd like to see in the future!

till next time!

-Ria


	2. Darker then Black

**notes: **Okaaaay so I guess the first thing I should say is sorry for not updating anything in like the past millennium ? I actually have some really good reasons for that though, most of them revolving around the fact my father is in the hospital. I feel pretty bad about not updating any of my stuff so I dug around in my drabbles folder a pulled this abomination out from the depths.

**notes 2:** It's weird and idk what I was thinking when I wrote it but w/e pls enjoy this trash.

**title:** / Darker then Black / T / nalu / romance & drama(kinda) /

**summary:** We are not heroes. Not even close. If we put our heads together in some hellish version of karma we are Darker even then that. Even the midnight city skyline can not find us.

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_In the crowd alone_

_And every second passing reminds me I'm not whole_

_Bright lights and city sounds are ringing like a drone_

_Unknown, unknown_

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_Click_.

She runs her slim fingers nimbly down the side of the barrel, over the smooth polish of varnished wood, against the intricate carvings in the metal body.

_Click Click Click._

Silver slips into the fine carved holes, each bullet nestled cozily in it's individual holding spot. She snaps the barrel of the rifle into place and readjusts herself on the windowsill, pale midnight moon pooling around her and dancing off the edges of the blades at her waist.

She flicks an ichor colored fingernail against the metal body of the gun and lets the soft metal sound echo in the emptiness of the white-walled room. It was eerily bleak, and she couldn't help but be unsettled by the sheer vastness of the empty room.

How many times she'd told him to paint it she'd lost track, and each time he'd refused her, stone grey eyes brimming with mischief and secrecy. Even now all that furnished the dull third story bedroom was the ancient oakwood desk, paled and peeling with age, and the hammock suspended by thick golden cords in the rightmost corner of the room.

A breeze picks up and swings her golden hair rhythmically in and out of her line of sight, she lets her earthen eyes fall shut as the midspring breeze flutters against her eyelashes.

The door opens.

A year ago he may have been startled by her presence. Close the door a little too fast, breath a little too deeply.

But that was then and this is now, so when his gaze falls upon the girl on his windowsill, dressed in black, as she does, gun in her hand and ancient battle-worn blades at her sides, he simply closes the door and shuffles a hand through his rosy pink locks of hair.

"Lucy. God, and I thought I was bad at using the front door."

She smiles briefly and she knows he can see it even from all the way across the room. As his almost-soundless footsteps draw nearer however, her smile fades and she trains her gaze on the rifle once more.

"I didn't want to wake your sister. She still doesn't know."

Natsu sighs and settles himself down on the opposite side of the windowsill. Large as it is, their legs still tangle together in a moonlit mess, not that either really minds.

He leans forward until he rests against her knee, onyx eyes drifting closed as the wind picks up again and stirs their very existences.

"How many." He groans quietly against her skin. The way his words vibrate through her, it doesn't feel like a question.

"Twenty, maybe thirty. Depends on our luck, which between the two of us is still dirt shit."

She can feel his smile on her skin before he sits up and slides his well-toned legs over the sill, striping articles of clothing as he makes his way over to his dresser drawer in nothing but his underwear.

Really, she scolds herself, she should be used to this by now. He's been doing this for as long as she's known him, and yet she still finds herself drawn to the sharp lines of his backbone, and the way his skin tightens as he moves to pull the cold black shirt over his head and down his back.

He finishes his ritual by slipping his unsheathed blade against his thigh, ancient runes dancing their way down the hilt and back again, unseen and yet visible. Her eyes flash in the moonlight, she has the feeling his do too. Everything about him is raw and primal, and her as well, as he turns his gaze back to hers.

"Got a good look?"

"You're such a pain."

He lets out a quiet laugh that echoes hauntingly off the bleach-white walls, and he's beside her again in an instant. His arms find their way to either side of her body, and she'd be trapped if she already knew she wasn't.

"I can live with that."

He breathes the words against the side of her neck, and despite herself she shivers under the touch of his lips on her skin. He grins into her and she can feel the sharpness of his parted teeth against her veins, his breath searing, branding itself to her.

She flashes back to a year ago, to the boy and not the man. To the hero, so white white white. Innocent, even naive. She'd destroyed that, she knew, though not by choice but by blood. Coffee stains that even the highest quality bleach couldn't hide.

"We have work to do." She hisses, though whether in annoyance or pleasure she refuses to acknowledge. She feels another laugh against her skin, airy but not light, never light.

He pulls away from her, midnight eyes so dark they were mirrors of her own, parallels. A darkness she may not have seeded but had most definitely grown, tended to like the deadliest of nightshades, with fear and the twisted karmic version of love.

"Yes yes, beast-slaying really is such a _joy_."

"If we were really slaying beasts you'd be the first on my radar, Casanova."

His smile almost reaches his eyes, almost.

He stands on the windowsill and offers her his hand, child of the moonlight as the unearthly glow wraps itself around him. In a sick version of fate the white white glow goes straight to his eyes, lithe imperfect hero's eyes. She wants to be sick and scream in elation all at once, and the raw emotion in her eyes makes him want to shove his lips against hers, but that was nothing new.

As soon as it's there the illusion of the moonlight vanishes and she's never felt more hollow and filled at the same time.

She takes his hand.

Her feet meet air, she wonders if nightshade is the cure.

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><p>.<p>

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sorry this is all I have to offer this is trash I am trash gomen

-Ria


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